Good Monday Morning, Everyone.
The third installment of the “Madagascar” franchise stampeded to the top of the box office heap over the weekend, taking in $60.3 million, making it a more compelling moviegoing option than Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus,” which finished second with $50 million.
Remember, kids, funny animals = gold. And a decent kids’ movie on a hot June weekend means sanity for parents.
From BoxOffice Mojo, here’s the weekend, by the numbers:
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count /Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted | P/DW | $60,350,000 | - | 4,258 | - | $14,173 | $60,350,000 | $145 | 1 |
| 2 | N | Prometheus | Fox | $50,000,000 | - | 3,396 | - | $14,723 | $50,000,000 | - | 1 |
| 3 | 1 | Snow White and the Huntsman | Uni. | $23,021,000 | -59.1% | 3,777 | +4 | $6,095 | $98,500,000 | $170 | 2 |
| 4 | 2 | MIB 3 | Sony | $13,500,000 | -51.9% | 3,792 | -456 | $3,560 | $135,505,000 | $225 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | Marvel’s The Avengers | BV | $10,809,000 | -47.2% | 3,129 | -541 | $3,454 | $571,860,000 | $220 | 6 |
| 6 | 6 | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | FoxS | $3,235,000 | -27.8% | 1,298 | +4 | $2,492 | $31,009,000 | - | 6 |
| 7 | 7 | What to Expect When You’re Expecting | LGF | $2,710,000 | -38.5% | 2,087 | -820 | $1,299 | $35,745,000 | - | 4 |
| 8 | 4 | Battleship | Uni. | $2,286,000 | -55.1% | 1,954 | -1,190 | $1,170 | $59,830,000 | $209 | 4 |
| 9 | 5 | The Dictator | Par. | $2,150,000 | -54.3% | 1,651 | -998 | $1,302 | $55,189,000 | $65 | 4 |
| 10 | 13 | Moonrise Kingdom | Focus | $1,579,000 | +80.1% | 96 | +80 | $16,448 | $3,750,000 | - | 3 |
Is It Really 1,000 Posts Already?
So back in August 2010, I had this brainstorm. And it started with a moment of annoyance. Namely, I realized that I hadn’t been to the movies in ages and this cinema junkie was tired of missing out on the silver screen.
So I told my ever-patient wife that I was going to start a blog. The idea, I said, was to watch a movie every night and then write a review or essay about it. The idea was to eventually write a book about the state of modern cinema. What I’d forgotten was that it was also a campaign season and my day job as a political reporter quickly got in the way. The “watch a movie every night” thing lasted, maybe, a month, and then quickly fell by the wayside.
It was several months before I returned to this project again. And when I did, I decided to take it in an entirely different direction. Reviews and essays would still have their place, but, let’s face it, I’m a breaking news guy and I love being out in front with news stories, so I quickly decided to take the blog in a more hard news direction. I tried to be first with some of the stories on the new tentpole franchises coming out of Hollywood. And I also wanted to call attention to some of the smaller films also worth your hard-earned dollar or pound or deutschemarke or wherever you happen to be reading this morning.
I’ve been pleased with the results so far. And I’ve been lucky enough to come into contact with movie fans from across the globe. But here’s the thing: As the Cineaste’s Lament approaches its second birthday, I want to make the blog even better. So I’m throwing it open to you, the readers:
What do you want to see more of in this space? Long-form essays on film? Movie reviews? More breaking news? Less news about men in tights? More on classic cinema? You’re the readers. You’re why I’m here doing this — it sure isn’t for the cash. This is a labor of love and I love sharing that labor with you.
Leave your thoughts in the comments section and thanks again for all your support for the last 1,000 posts. Here’s to the next 1,000 and beyond.
